Yichang–Wanzhou railway

Yichang–Wanzhou railway Yichang-Wanzhou section of theShanghai–Wuhan–Chengdu passenger railway corridor
The Yichang–Chongqing route, formed by the Yichang–Lichuan section of the Yiwan line and theYuli (Lichuan–Chongqing)line, shown as a thick red line on the map of China's HSR construction plan
Overview
Other name(s)	Yiwan railway
Native name	Nghi vạn đường sắt
Status	Operational
Owner	CR Wuhan CR Chengdu
Locale	Hubei province
Termini	Yichang East Wanzhou
Stations	24
Service
Type	Class I
System	China Railway High-speed
Operator(s)	CR Wuhan CR Chengdu
History
Opened	July 1, 2012(2012-07-01)
Technical
Line length	377 km (234 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in)standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC(Overhead line)
Operating speed	160 km/h (99 mph) max. (Yichang–Lichuan) 120 km/h (75 mph) max. (Lichuan–Wanzhou)
Route map km elev Hanyi railwayfromHankou Jiaozuo–Liuzhou railway Yueshan Liuzhou Yaqueling–Yichang railwayto Yaqueling 0 Yichang East Yangtze River Bridge Yichang South Chexi (planned) Changyang Baozhen tunnel (11,595 m) Langping (planned) Yesanguan Tunnel (13,838 m) Yesanguan Gaoping Luoshuidong (planned) Jianshi Baiyangping Baiguo (planned) Enshi Yunwushan tunnel (6,682 m) Qingkou Maluqing tunnel (7,879 m) Lichuan Wuhan Group Chengdu Group 288 Liangwu Chongqing–Lichuan railwaytoChongqing North Wangying (planned) Qiyueshan Qiyueshan tunnel (10,528 m) Guancangping (planned) Luotian Guyu (planned) Yubeishan Ganziyuan (planned) Wuqiao Wanzhou Railway Bridge 377 Wanzhou Dazhou–Wanzhou railwaytoDazhou

TheYichang–Wanzhou railway,or theYiwan railway(simplified Chinese:Nghi vạn đường sắt;traditional Chinese:Nghi vạn đường sắt;pinyin:Yíwàn Tiělù) connects the cities ofYichang(HubeiProvince) andWanzhou(ChongqingMunicipality) viaLichuan,Hubei. It was completed in 2010 and forms part of theShanghai–Wuhan–Chengdu passenger railway.Out of the line's total 377 km (234 mi) length, 288 km (179 mi) runs on bridges or in tunnels. According to the chief engineer, Zhang Mei, the line was the most difficult ever constructed in China. Operation started on22 December2010.

Connections

TheYichang Railway Bridgeover theYangtze Rivernear the eastern terminus of the railway inYichang.

The railway crosses the Yangtze River a second time near its western terminus, Wanzhou. Pictured is theWanzhou Railway Bridge.

At its eastern end, theYichang East railway station,the Yiwan Railway connects with the high-speedWuhan–Yichang railwaytoHankou(Wuhan).

AtLiangwu railway station,the Yichang–Wanzhou railway connects with the high-speedChongqing–Lichuan railway(Yuli), the main route of the Huhanrong corridor, which provides the most direct connection to Chongqing and on toChengdu.From Liangwu, the Yichang–Wanzhou railway heads north to reach Wanzhou. With the Yuli and Hanyi lines both in operation and in use by high-speed, it will become possible to travel by train between Wuhan and Chongqing in around 5 hours, compared to the 22 hours before the opening of the Yiwan Line.However, the opening of high-speed service (as opposed to "regular" trains) on the Yichang–Wanzhou railway was delayed until July 1, 2014.

Until the Yuli line was completed at the end of 2013, all through traffic on the Yiwan Railway had to go along its entire length, to the line's western terminus at Wanzhou, and then over an existing railway branch toDazhou,Sichuan.From Dazhou, trains could continue both southwest toward Chongqing on theXiangyang–Chongqing railwayand west toward Chengdu on theDazhou–Chengdu Railway.

Layout

The 377 km (234 mi) longrailway crosses the remarkably difficult terrain of southwestern Hubei (YichangCity andEnshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture) and the eastern part of theChongqingMunicipality (Wanzhou District). The region has numerous mountains and is sometimes referred to as "the eastern edge" of theYunnan-Guizhou Plateau.Until recently, the region had no railways, and hardly any paved roads (beyondChina National Highway 318,which the new railway more or less parallels).The new (G42 Hurong Expressway) was built along the same corridor as well (seeSi Du River Bridgefor an example of engineering that was required).

Out of the entire length of the rail line, 324 km (201 mi) are in Hubei and 53 km (33 mi) in Chongqing Municipality.Owing to the difficult terrain, the project involved a large number of bridges (including two over theYangtze River:theWanzhou Railway Bridgeand theYichang Railway Bridge) and tunnels. Out of the line's total 377 km (234 mi) length, 288 km (179 mi) runs on bridges or in tunnels. This made the line the most difficult and the most expensive (per kilometre) of all China's railways up to that time. At a cost of U.S.$9.01 millionper kilometre, the per-kilometre construction costs were twice as high as those for theQinghai–Tibet Railwaywhich cost U.S.$4.35 millionper kilometre.

Construction history

Construction of theWanzhou Railway Bridge,at the western end of the Yiwan line

The railway was first proposed bySun Yat-senin 1903, but construction was not started until 2003 due to the difficulties of the project.According to the chief engineer, Zhang Mei, the line was the most difficult ever constructed in China.

As of mid-2009, the embankments, bridges, and tunnels along the Yiwan Railway had been mostly completed, and about half the rails had been laid.On18 August2010, the line's construction was completed.Local media reported that the line would become operational inNovember 2010.

Trial operations started on 19 November,and regular operation started on22 December2010, with passenger trains fromWuhanrunning toLichuan;on10 January2011 a through-passenger service started from Wuhan toChongqingover the entire Yiwan line.

See also

• List of railway lines in China

External links

• Yichang–Wanzhou railway Project, People's Republic of China (2003),atAsian Development Banksite. Discusses both technical and social issues.